Primary Strategies

Develop a sustainable mobility program

Generally, create a sustainable mobility program that provides and/or supports users with a variety of choices for commuting and removes existing barriers to sustainable transportation. Such a program will likely include many of the strategies outlined below.

More detailed analysis is necessary to determine, in part, exactly how the program would be structured, who is eligible, which features it will include, and how it will be administered. Next steps for developing such a program include

Employee/Student Forums and/or Open Houses. Hold forums or open houses to obtain input on preliminary program features.

Adjust Program Design.

Branding. Establish an appropriate brand to make the program easily recognizable.

Develop an Engagement Plan. Since commuting behavior can be very challenging to change, UNK should employ a more robust approach to engaging participants and soliciting new users.

A well-designed program should include efficient administration, measurable metrics that are regularly tracked and evaluated, and an engagement/marketing campaign that includes a presence in new student/employee orientation (the most critical time to change people’s travel behavior is when they make big changes in their lives (i.e., start college or start a new job).

Finally, support elements such as daily/hourly flex parking and an emergency ride home program are vital elements of an effective program. They often provide important safety nets for those using sustainable transportation for the first time, and fortunately, they are inexpensive.

Excellent progress on a few components of such a program has already been made (e.g., Enterprise CarShare, Zagster bicycle sharing), but a more cohesive approach will help to ensure long-term success.

Throughout the planning process, many expressed a desire to increase the walkability and bikeability of the campus. The strategies outlined below are focused on creating infrastructure and programs that make walking and biking safe, enjoyable, and the preferred modes.

Improve pedestrian infrastructure

Improve pedestrian infrastructure on and around roadways so that drivers are more aware of how to interact with pedestrians - thus making it more enjoyable and safer for pedestrians. One example is signs that more clearly articulate that motorists are to stop for pedestrian in a crosswalk. The 2013 Campus Landscape Master Plan recommends several other enhancements that will result in a more walkable campus.

Two main focus areas for improved walkability include user safety and enjoyment. Campus users won’t set out on foot if they don’t feel safe while walking. Incorporating infrastructure that creates a safe environment for walkers is an important first step. Examples include redeveloping parking lots to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment (e.g., where lots 32 and 13 intersect).

Second, creating an enjoyable walking environment makes the experience more interesting and fulfilling. Amenities such as benches, landscaping, trees, and wayfinding enhance the environment for pedestrians. Most of these aspects were included in the 2013 Campus Landscape Master Plan.

Monitor and expand the Zagster bicycle sharing program

Sixty two percent of survey respondents indicated they agree (38%) or strongly agree (24%) that UNK should start a bicycle sharing program (Verdis Group’s UNK Sustainability Engagement Survey, March 2015). Thus, UNK launched Zagster in October 2015. Zagster’s bicycle sharing stations are located at West Center, Centennial Towers, the Nebraskan Student Union, Calvin T. Ryan Library, and the Wellness Center. UNK should closely monitor the program’s effectiveness. If successful, UNK should expand the program to University Village at a later date.

Cars are not the enemy. They serve an important purpose and are not going to disappear anytime soon. But in order to create a more sustainable campus, their use should not be the easy default, especially when they are traditionally fueled and occupied by a single person. The strategies outlined below are intended to reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips to and from campus and to simultaneously relieve parking pressure.

Allow short-term parking at residence halls

Set aside short-term (less than 30 minutes) parking at appropriate residence halls so that students can drop off laundry/groceries and then park their cars in another (perimeter) lot. This will address one of the least desirable and unhealthy aspects of parking further away from residence halls: carrying bulky/heavy loads to/from one’s car, especially if doing so requires multiple trips. The students will likely self-police the short-term parking (especially after 5:00 p.m. and on weekends), and residence halls should expect their students to respect one another by obeying the time restrictions.

Allow permit sharing

Explicitly allow and encourage students, faculty, and staff to share a permit and carpool. The way in which permits are sold informally allows for permit holders to share a permit; they are not assigned to a specific vehicle. Most users, however, are not aware of or haven’t really considered that they might be able to share their permit with another individual. Educating and encouraging permit holders to consider sharing a permit should entice users to consider new ways to get to campus. When more than one person with a shared permit needs to park on campus, they can purchase a daily pass.

Pilot a ridesharing social network program

Pilot Zimride or a similar ridesharing social network program. Zimride uses social networks to help riders connect with each other. Within seconds, riders can set up a profile, search for open seats where they want to go, or post a ride of their own. Zimride assists with ongoing outreach and marketing, and provides user ratings, mobile access, and data tracking. Zimride is most ideal for situations in which multiple people independently want to make a trip that is relatively long-distance and/or infrequent. For example, if two students independently wanted to travel to Lincoln for a weekend trip, Zimride would help them connect with each other and share the ride. Zimride would normally charge a university $12,000 per year for its services, but because of UNK’s existing partnership with Enterprise, it would only charge $9,000 per year.

Monitor and expand the Enterprise CarShare program

Carsharing provides support to commuters who travel to campus without a personal vehicle. UNK’s Enterprise CarShare program launched in August 2015. The university should continue to market the program widely, monitor its performance, and expand it if successful.

Provide multimodal directions

Have Facilities Management and Planning and all others organizing meetings on campus include multimodal directions in emails to incoming students and visitors who will be traveling to campus for special events (e.g. orientation, graduation, public lectures, etc.).

Current designs for University Village call for compact, mixed-use, well designed spaces, which reduce the need for car trips in addition to the cost of campus maintenance and operation. There are three key principles that, if followed, will guide future development appropriately. They include

Principle 1: Foster a Mix of Building Uses to Improve Area Vibrancy. The 2013 Campus Landscape Master Plan proposes an increase in building types and uses on campus, including parking garages. This diversity of spaces improves access for pedestrians and bicyclists due to an increase in activity and density.

Principle 2: Use Building Placement and Streetscape Design to Promote Active Transportation Modes. Highway 30 is an important edge where community and the campus meet. Planned improvements make this highly visible entrance to campus more pedestrian and bicycle friendly. Careful attention should be paid to this and other adjacent roadways to ensure pedestrian access is safe and enjoyable.

Principle 3: Provide High Quality Public Spaces to Encourage Interaction and Innovation. The 2013 Campus Landscape Master Plan calls for several excellent public spaces such as the Fine Arts Garden and University Green. These create environs where students, faculty, and staff alike can informally gather.